Bury St Edmunds woman who fraudulently claimed over £5,800 in Council Tax support sentenced

A woman who fraudulently claimed more than £5,800 in Council Tax support after failing to declare her partner was living with her has been handed a community order.

Leah Brown, 33, of Reynolds Walk in Bury St Edmunds, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Monday for sentencing for two fraud offences.

She had admitted charges of failure to notify of a change in circumstances, contrary to the Council Tax Reduction Schemes 2013 and fraud by false representation, contrary to the Fraud Act 2006, at an earlier hearing.

West Suffolk Council said Brown had been in receipt of Council Tax support and a 25 per cent single person discount since September 2018, having said she was a single parent.

It was later discovered that her partner had been living with her throughout the entire period of her claim.

Her fraud amounted to an overpayment of £5,801.50 in Council Tax support and single person discount paid out between September 2018 and December 2023.

She was prosecuted by Anglia Revenues Partnership on behalf of West Suffolk Council.

Monday’s court hearing was told that Brown had set up an arrangement to repay the £5,801.50.

The court sentenced her to a 24-month community order and ordered that she pay £1,600 towards the prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £114.

Speaking afterwards, Cllr Diane Hind, cabinet member for resources at West Suffolk Council, said: “Fraud adds to the strain on public services and means the rest of us all end up paying more.

“Anglia Revenues Partnership identified more than £850,000 in fraud and overpayments due to error of information given by residents in 2023/24.

“That includes not just Council Tax support and single person discount, but tenancy fraud and business rates.

“That is why when we are clear that a claim is dishonest, we will prosecute and we hope case such as this will deter others from attempting to defraud West Suffolk taxpayers.

“There is help for people for people on low incomes who are struggling, and it is important that we continue to focus Council Tax support to those residents who genuinely need it.”

Advice and information on the help available can be found at www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/services/moneyadvice/index.cfm